Safe drivers and motorcyclists across New South Wales are set to receive an early Christmas present, with the NSW Government announcing the Demerit Point Reward Program will be made permanent.
The program allows unrestricted licence holders to have one demerit point removed if they remain offence-free for a continuous 12-month period. It is designed to recognise and reward safer behaviour on the roads rather than focusing solely on punishment.
Since the first trial began in 2023, more than 1.7 million NSW licence holders have benefited from having at least one demerit point removed from their record. In 2025 alone, more than one million drivers and riders are eligible to have a point wiped if they continue to do the right thing and stay offence-free.
The NSW Government said making the program permanent reflects a commonsense approach to road safety, acknowledging the millions of motorists who choose to drive responsibly every day. The announcement comes ahead of the Christmas and summer holiday period, traditionally one of the busiest and most dangerous times on NSW roads.
With traffic volumes expected to increase significantly over coming weeks, the Government said the permanent program reinforces the importance of safe decisions behind the wheel and encourages motorists to maintain good habits year round, not just during enforcement campaigns.
Legislation to support the permanent Demerit Point Reward Program will be introduced in early 2026, when NSW Parliament resumes in February. Once passed, the program will operate as an ongoing feature of the state’s road safety framework.
The reward scheme will sit alongside the Government’s broader road safety agenda, which includes a record $2.8 billion investment over four years. That funding focuses on education, essential infrastructure upgrades, targeted enforcement, and rebuilding a stronger culture of safety and personal responsibility on NSW roads.
Minister for Roads Jenny Aitchison said the program recognises positive change and encourages drivers to improve their behaviour over time.
“Road safety programs should recognise and reinforce safe, responsible behaviour, especially where people have made mistakes in the past, but have improved their road safety behaviour on the road over the past year,” she said.
“The Minns Labor Government will always back commonsense reform on our roads.”
Ms Aitchison said the program adopts a more balanced approach to enforcement and education.
“We want people who have made poor choices in the past to develop and sustain safer habits in the future. This is adopting a ‘carrot’ approach to encourage people to engage in safe, responsible behaviour every time they drive,” she said.
She said the demerit point reward complements broader investments already being made.
“In addition to this reform, we have invested $2.8 billion in road safety, which is helping to strengthen enforcement, identified ways to strengthen the demerit point system, boosted road safety infrastructure programs, and leveraged new technologies to catch dangerous behaviour,” Ms Aitchison said.
“With the Christmas break and school holidays approaching and some of the busiest weeks on our roads ahead, I’m urging everyone to drive so others survive: slow down, put your phone away, buckle up properly, and never drive tired or after drinking alcohol or using drugs.”
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